Greek authorities have prevented Albanian journalists and tv crews from crossing from Albania into Greece to journey to Thessaloniki, the place Prime Minister Edi Rama is about to carry a big rally with the Albanian diaspora.
Information crews from Klann and CNN affiliate A2 reported being held up for 3 hours on the Kapshtice border crossing. Klann journalists instructed Euractiv that Greek police instructed them they wanted a particular allow as a result of they supposed to make use of a van geared up with reside transmission tools.
“Now we have been right here for 3 hours. They stated we want a allow,” a journalist on the bottom instructed Euractiv.
Native authorities stated this allow must be obtained from the Greek Overseas Ministry. They added that, alternatively, they might proceed into Greece however should depart the cameras and tools behind.
Journalists on the scene instructed Euractiv that in earlier journeys to Greece in latest months, the identical journalists with the identical tools weren’t requested for extra permits.
The journalists reported that in the course of the three-hour standoff, Greek authorities took their passports, however they had been finally returned at round 17:05 CET. Journalists then instructed Euractiv that they had been allowed to enter Greece shortly after.
“Once we had been in Greece in Might with operators and cameras, we weren’t stopped or requested for authorisation, as a result of a personal media doesn’t want an authorisation from the Ministry of Greece if he has all of the related paperwork,” A2 journalist Fjorela Beleshi stated by way of reside broadcast from the border.
Rama is about to deal with the Albanian diaspora in Greece on Sunday within the metropolis of Thessaloniki.
The nation is house to some 500,000 Albanians, many are seasonal staff. The go to comes after the same rally in Athens in Might following a visit to the US, the place he met his fellow countrymen in New York.
However his go to to Thessaloniki has been marred by threats of protests by some political teams together with the far-right Nationwide Entrance. They declared that Rama was not welcome in Greece, itemizing the latest arrest and imprisonment of Fredi Beleri as one of many causes to protest.
“Declaring delight for Albania and for the Albanians residing in Greece, Edi Rama comes once more with the federal government’s permission to organise a rally in Thessaloniki (…) His politics and people who assist him are completely undesirable,” the Nationwide Entrance press launch stated.
Beleri, an Albanian ethnic Greek was arrested in 2023 for vote shopping for within the municipality of Himara. He was sentenced to at least one yr in jail and prevented from turning into mayor. He was later elected to European Parliament as a Greek MEP.
Throughout a go to to Tirana final week with different MEPs, he was pelted with eggs after a gathering with authorities.
As for the earlier rally in Might, Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis had dismissed it as “superfluous.”
Relations between the 2 nations have been cool for a while, not solely as a result of Beleri. In a 2022 interview with Euractiv, Rama stated Greece “cheated” on its EU membership course of, leading to a diplomatic spat forward of the Western Balkan Summit and an apology from Rama to Mitsotakis.
The Greek authorities and the Albanian authorities haven’t reacted publicly to the information of the journalists being held up on the border by the point of publication.
[Edited by Rajnish Singh]